How well does seroquel work for anxiety and panic attacks, is it a tranquilizer?

I have problems with major depression as well as anxiety and panic disorder. I take Effexor for the depression, and Neurontin and Klonopin for the anxiety. This worked well for a while but lately my panic attacks occassionally break through even this. My doctor suggested a small dose of Seroquel. He told me it is like a tranquilizer. Is this true and how well does this medicine work for anxiety and panic attacks? Also do most people experience weight gain? Im already on one med that made me gain 25lbs that wont budge no matter what I do. I dont want to gain anymore

Responses (13)

Seroquel is effective for some poeple in treating anxiety. It will make you sleepy most likely. Unfortunately it is known for causing weight gain, but I suspect at a low dose you would be ok. Just going to have to give it a try and see how ya do. Fortunately there are other meds the doctor can try if this one doesn't work so hang in there.

Ask your Dr about trintellix for your anxiety and panic attacks, I used to be on all of those you mentioned too and gained alot of WT. But since in off of those and just on trintellix now I rarely have any break through probs and if I do it's once or twice a month and a minor dose of lorazepam takes care of it. Im feeling so hopeful and so much better since this change about 4 months ago. It's been a long time coming to the brighter side again!

Hello bethmed. just to add my thoughts.I was on seroquel for several years. Its used most often as an anti-depressant. Actually, in regards to anxiety, because of its sedative effects, you'll feel less anxiety. Most people take it at night/evening because it will make you sleepy. (thats the reason I took it, to help me to sleep). Weight gain is a definite problem. Its the one side effect that seems to effect most people who take it. and a reason why some people just stop taking it. To be honest, I'd ask my dopctor for a different medication, in regards to your anxiety/panic attacks. You most probably will not beable to take the seroquel during the day because chances are likely will be getting the urge to fall asleep.best to you.

Not to take away from this post but while seroquel is sometimes used for depression and anxiety, it is an atypical antipsychotic common used for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. I've been on 200mg xr for bipolar 1 for 2 years and it does have a calming, almost care free sedative effect, so I could see why it would be used for anxiety.

I take effexor xr for 150 mg For severe panic attack disorder it worked a while and then they added lamictol which is for epilepsy and it destroyed my panic attacks for 10 years until now. I just started seroquel 150 mg 4 weeks ago and it is perfect. I take it at night and I actually sleep at night. I don't have any side effects that I notice at all. You just have to be aware of your eating. I have not gained any weight on it yet. My doc said take it at night 12 hours before you want to wake up. I still can wake up in the middle of the night sometimes but I am fine waking up and going about my day. It is remarkable how controlling your sleep takes care of my panic attacks. Hope it helps.

it was time time ago you posted this comment, but I have similar problem. I am on effexor 100 mg for panic disorder. But this disorder and depression started with my sleep disorder and insomnia. I am taking effexor almost one year and it helped me so much. But I think I dont need it anymore. Important for me is my sleep and have it under control. When I sleep well, everything is Ok. No panic attacks, no depressions. My doc prescribed me seroquel 25mg for night and I think it works fine and I take it with eff. dose. Did you get off of effexor and took only seroquel? Cause I would like to stay only on seroquel, I think this pill is enough for me. Did it help you? thanks for the answer.

Whatever you do don’t try and wean yourself off of any antidepressant/anti anxiety medication. I’m on Zoloft 200mg and I thought I was fine and weaned myself off of it. It was a horrible idea. I’m suffering from horrible anxiety and depression now I wake up every morning feeling sick to my stomach, dry heave, and end up throwing up bile since I have nothing in my stomach. I’ve lost a lot of weight which isn’t good. I hardly sleep and am always tired. I’m trying to get back on track with my antidepressant. So please think twice about stopping.

I absolutely hate the drug Seroquel. For one it's not Fda approved for anxiety, or panic attacks, or sleep. I started using this awful drug 10 months ago and I started it for my BPD, and sleep issues; However this devils drug only gave me more problems. Please people watch your heart on this drug. Seroquel has been known to raise your blood sugar in your body and has been linked to diabetes # 2. Thank god I don't have D2, Atleast not yet. My sugar levels were high the last time I saw my doc. This very awful drug once knocked me out for a goodnights rest.. And now it wakes me up with heart palpitations every night. I've had so many scares I'm having a heart attack. My body starts to feel clammy and my legs go numb ringing in my ears. I never had any issues with my heart are ringing in my ears or my chest hurting. Yes I had issues with sleep but I never felt my heart flutter and hear my heart beating so fast before using this awful deadly drug.

It's been a nightmare. Since April 2016, I've been to the ER room a 100 times because I felt I was going to die. I've said my prayers as if was my last day on earth. Please beware and do your research on this before you let it take control of your life. Now I can't sleep and have god awful chest pain and really bad panic attacks. Just be careful folks.

I love Seroquel, Its the drug i have been waiting for now for decades. I have tried just about everything, nothing worked and some had side effects. I have been on Seroquel for 6 weeks now and it has made a huge improvement in my life. I have led a reclusive life for years now, no friends, never going outside unless it was dark and basically waiting to die. Now I am full of life, I go out in the day time, I have a great girlfriend and i am loving life. Yes it does make you sleepy, but just take it before you go to sleep and it puts you to sleep right away. It also makes my mouth a bit dry, but thats all. I fully recommend this drug to any one that has general depression and anxiety.

Seroquel has been a god send for me in reference to anxiety issues. I take 200 mg of instant release each evening. For me at least it works better than any benzos. That being said not everyone can take it. It is a pretty rough medication for some. And the weight gain issue is real. Especially night time eating. My psychiatrist said that it acts as a histamine in your guts, which makes you hungry. It of itself doesn't cause the weight gain. It is the excessive eating due to extreme hunger that does. If you truly watch your calories you can manage your weight on it. Like anything else, you have to maintain a calorie deficit to lose weight.

Hi Don, we are having a little Seroquel fan club here. Its a shame it doesn't work on everybody like it has us, I am finally living a life again. I would rather be fat than have the life I lived before.Richard.

When I finally found Seroquel for bipolar disorder and my sleeping improved dramatically I couldn't be happier! I have gained about 25 lbs since starting Seroquel three years ago but I will always take it because this medicine has improved my life so much! I haven't had panic attacks since starting Seroquel and I really do believe sound sleep improves anxiety. Best of luck to you!

Hi Sistergal, glad to hear you're doing well with Seroquel. It has given me my life back, I wish I had found it years ago. One advantage of living like a shut-in, I didn't spend much money. Now I spend heaps and really enjoy life.

My new psychiatrist tried to switch me to a newer medication because he was much more concerned about the weight gain than I was. I gained 40 pounds, but I am 6'4" and it did not add all that much size to me. I won't mention the other medication by name because I don't want to bias anyone against it. But I had horrible issues return. Once I went back on the Seroquel I balanced right back out. I think it helps more people than one would think. It's just that many people don't post unless there are problems, kinda like Ebay feedback. Oh and I take Lithium as a nood stabilizer. The combination is just the ticket for me.

Seroquel has been amazing for me I take 600mg at night along with 400mg of lamictal 200mg of Topamax and 3-1mg xanax "yeah I have issues" but I wake up fine evey morning put on my big boy pants and go to work I have bipolar PTSD and other issues from combat but no physical health problems but I am sure it effects everyone different.

Hi Dmwilliams, Im with you, Seroquel has been a game changer for me. I wish I had found it years ago, it has made such a huge difference. Yes, I have gained weight and it does make me sleepy but I have my life back and I owe it all to Seroquel.

I have had problems with mood swings and anger for nearly thirty years. This always made me see myself as "crazy". After a resent hospital admission for hallucinations from extreme stress and anxiety (that's what the psychiatrist said where I was admitted ) I was started on Seroquel. Have been taking it now for over a month. I'm a lot more relaxed now. And I can say this is the first time in my adult life that I don't feel "crazy". As far as complaints about weight gain that people say they can't do anything about. I've had no issue. I was warned about that and made up my mind to counter act it by watching how I eat and taking up a vigorous exercise routine. So far so good. I've been through a bunch of different antidepressants (Paxil, Zoloft and Prozac/Sarafem) that never worked they seem to just mask the problem. This is the First drug that seems to be making a difference for me. Has anyone had similar experiences?

Wow, 7thtimesacharm 30 years, I thought I had it bad with over 20. Like you I tried just about everything, I don't think I've ever been properly diagnosed. The main thing is Seroquel has saved my life, My anxiety and depression levels have dropped enough so I can lead a fairly normal life. Glad it's having the same effect on you. Isn't it great to rejoin the human race again.

Hi richard131,Do you take anything else with Seroquel? What kind of dosage are you on? I've tried both the instant-release 50mg and the extended-release 50mg. The 50mg instant-release works well for sleep. I also take Prozac with Seroquel. Thanks for your input

For my wife this even on a low dose caused her to gain weight bit she was mostly bed ridden so cant really say on that if it was the drug. I myself have been perscribed it for me it really didnt do much to be honest but on occasions I found myself to be extreamly hungry while taking it. I had days where I was fine but then this huge hunger set in and I couldnt eat enough. I found myself one day 4 days into taking it eating 7 small steaks by myself and sides and still hungry. Then I was okay for another 2 days and bam that hunger took over. My doctor changed my perscription due to it back to Valium I only needed it at night to deal with the loss of my wife. I have horrible night time anxiety. But to be honest this drug didnt make me sleepy it just made things blurry. I wouldnt recommened much. I was on a low dose maybe a stronger dose would have helped but with the extreme hunger I wouldnt chance it again.

I've been on antidepressants successfully for 25 years to fight anxiety -- Clomipramine, Effexor, Cymbalta, and now Pristiq 100 mg. The Pristiq seems to be about 80% effective, so I recentlyI recently added Zoloft to the Pristiq but that seemed to create heart palpitations and increase my anxiety as a result, so I am weaning off the Zoloft and trying propranolol (beta blocker) to control the palpitations and also reduce anxiety. I'm taking 25 mg of Seroquel for sleep. It works very well: best sleep medication I've ever had. I'm wondering if increasing the dosage of the Seroquel might be all I need to help the Pristiq so that I don't have to take the beta blockers. None of them is giving me any major side effects during the day (as long as I take the Seroquel before bed), but I just hate to be on such a cocktail of potent medications.

Is there anyone else out there who finds Seroquel helpful in reducing General Anxiety Disorder? I'm 62 years old and otherwise in excellent health but for slightly high blood pressure due to the anxiety. Thanks for any relevant thoughts…!

Hi jmcgit looks like your already on a cocktail of meds. I replaced one med ( can't remember which) with Seroquel and it changed my life. I have a lot less anxiety and can function much better, taken before bed I also sleep really well. Yes its true you may put on weight, as it increases your appetite I joined a gym as all food just seems better now as does life in general.

Hi JMI started off on 25 mg and I couldn't stay awake after I took it. I slowly over weeks increased my dosage and now I take 325 mg per day before bed. Sometimes It just about knocks me out but not always. I always sleep really well now and don't wake up through the night. There are 2 types, slow release and fast, sorry I am not sure which one I am on. I am so glad I persisted with Seroquel.

Thanks Richard. Wow, 325mg? I didn't expect that. Did you originally start taking it for sleep or for anxiety? My daughter takes it for sleep and as a mood-stabilizer, and I have read that it is usually classed as an anti-psychotic. Since I increased from 25 to 50 last night my palpitations have decreased substantially today and I definitely feel less anxious, though far from perfect. One other question: at that dosage (325) are you functional if you have to get up in the middle of the night for some reason? Thanks. I really appreciate your feedback. JM

Hi JM,I work at night and sleep in the daytime, before I started using Seroquel I used to sleep all day, sometimes for 10 to 12 hours. Yes, I had absolutely no life. It took me a while to work up to 325mg but my anxiety almost completely disappeared. I find about 1 hour after taking Seroquel I get very tired but if I fight through it for roughly an hour I am fine and don't feel sleepy. I still have a bit of anxiety and sometimes depression but its so much better than before.

I just started this 2 wks ago for anxiety, and sleep. And it’s been amazing this far. I started with 25 mg, and upped to 50 mg per my dr with no issues. It does sedate me pretty well, and I try to take it at least 12 hrs before I want to get up. I have been waking up and typically going back to sleep after a full 8 hrs of sleep. Dr also has prescribed me .5 mg of Xanax for the overwhelming feelings that I sometimes get. I’m in remission from breast cancer recently, and the anxiety stepping out of treatment has been tough. But I feel my life slowly coming back, and I haven’t felt the room closing in on me hardly since I started this med. I’ve tried antidepressants in the past during tougher times, and always had one reaction or another and was never really successful at finding the right one.

Hi all, I have been on seroquel for 8 years... anywhere from 300 - 450 mg at night. It’s been great for sleep up until it wasn’t. I just want to caution people here that if it stops working for sleep, it’s not a nice drug. I Really don’t want to scare anyone by writing this... if it’s working then great. I now have a hard time getting to sleep as I don’t have that knock out punch so-to-speak. And if you’re taking this med just for sleep I would look at your options. It seems to keep me awake now and I have grown a tolerance to it. My Doc says my antihistamine receptors are maxed out because of seroquel.